A joint team comprised of Coast Guard members and Customs and Border Protection officers discovered and seized approximately 306 pounds of cocaine concealed among a shipment of cocoa beans coming from the Dominican Republic Sunday.

NEW YORK – A joint team comprised of Coast Guard members and Customs and Border Protection officers discovered and seized approximately 306 pounds of cocaine concealed among a shipment of cocoa beans coming from the Dominican Republic Sunday.

The team, made up of Coast Guard personnel from Sector New York in Staten Island, and CBP officers from the Port of Newark, were conducting cargo examinations aboard the cargo ship Michaela, when they discovered three duffel bags stowed among a shipment of cocoa beans. The bags contained a total of 125 brick like objects that tested positive for the properties of cocaine.

“This is a significant seizure, with a significant street value,” said Coast Guard Capt. Jeffrey Dixon, acting Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey. “The ongoing partnership between the Coast Guard and CBP continues to produce results that protect the American public. This intercept prevents a large quantity of drugs from getting to the streets and into the hands of our children.”

Coast Guard personnel and CBP officers commonly board vessels in joint operations in an effort to deter drug smuggling and other illegal activity.

The cocaine and all other evidence have been turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further analysis and investigation.

The estimated street value of the seized cocaine is approximately $5,500,000. Each year, the Coast Guard nationwide interdicts more than 200,000 pounds of narcotics.

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